LAKEPORT, Calif. – Five young Lake County gymnasts have qualified to compete in upcoming state-level gymnastics competitions.
Skycatch Gymnastics’ entire boys competitive team rose to the occasion this season, making the cut to advance to the state level events.
The team members include Philip Sparkes, age 10, level four; Alex Fordham and Trey Broyles, both age 10, level five; and Catch Devore, 14, and Tanner Broyles, 13, level six.
“Their season was so fun,” said Annette Broyles, mother of Tanner and Trey.
New to the sport is Philip, who has decided not to compete in the state meet. However, young Alex Fordham and Trey Broyles will go to Emeryville to compete on Sunday.
Then, next weekend, it’s the senior members of the team, Catch and Tanner, who will travel to their competition in Oroville.
Catch is the son of Roger and Jerae Devore, owners of Skycatch Gymnastics and themselves former competitive gymnasts. Both he and Tanner went to the state and regional competition last year, as Lake County News has reported.
In just a year, both Catch and Tanner have gotten taller, stronger and more confident in their skills.
They have to be at the top of their form. Roger Devore said Region 1 is the best place on Earth to be a gymnast, which also means it’s among the most competitive places for the sport.
And after this season, Devore said they will be moving to level eight competition. Level 10 is Olympic level.
Both boys attended a gymnastics camp at Stanford University last summer, and will attend again this year, said Annette Broyles.
Tanner and Catch are “all-around” gymnasts, and don’t just specialize in a few skills, Devore said.
When the boys gathered for a team picture with the many medals they’ve racked up this season, one little girl in the gym remarked, “That’s a lot of medals.”
In addition to the team, there are other young gymnasts who are entering the sport at Skycatch.
They include Eli Carlson, 7, whose dad sat and looked on proudly as his young son took to the floor to practice his new skills. He even took a turn on the high bar.
Eli, who is poised and well-spoken for one so young, said he’s been doing gymnastics not yet a year, and his dad confirmed his son’s enthusiasm for the sport.
He started doing gymnastics two to three days a week because he likes it. “It also looked really cool,” Eli said.
Skycatch Gymnastics is located at 888 Lakeport Blvd. in Lakeport.
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